APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Prime minister Abiy Ahmed says Ethiopia has no interest entering into a conflict with neighbouring Somalia.
“When it comes to Somalia’s unity, this government cannot be tattled,” said PM Ahmed during Thursday’s meeting with the central committee members of his party – video footage of which were released on state-owned media on Friday.
He emphasised that there is no interest in conflict with Somalia.
“Ethiopia has absolutely no interest in fighting against Somalia,” he said.
The Prime Minister seems to relate the reaction to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Somaliland to an ongoing propaganda war.
“When it comes to the Somaliland issue, initially, when we stated the need for a seaport, there was an extensive campaign implying that we were going to fight over Assab (part of Eritrea for the past 30 years). Now, when it involves Somaliland, the situation is not that it is welcomed; we are not fighting over Assab. Somaliland itself became the agenda,” Abiy told central committee members of his party.
He also claimed efforts to unify Somalia by arranging a meeting between Somalia’s former president, Farmajo, and Somaliland President Musa Bihi Abdi.
Relations between Ethiopia and Somalia have been deteriorating after the MoU agreement was signed by the two parties on January 1, 2024 which allowed the former access to the Red Sea.
Somalia sees it as a violation of its sovereignty and warns that it could go to war to prevent its implementation.
To that end, Somalia has received assurance of support from Egypt and the Arab League.
It also held consultations with Eritrea about the development when Somali President Hassan Sheik visited Asmara last week.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed did not confirm whether he is going ahead with the agreement, which was initially planned to be completed in one month from the time the MoU was signed.
Ethiopia has tens of thousands of troops in Somalia as part of the African Union Peacekeeping Mission and a bilateral arrangement with the government of Somalia.
There are unconfirmed reports that Ethiopian troops based in Kismayo are withdrawing.
MG/as/APA